UNDERWATER GLIDER SYSTEM STUDY Scripps Institution of Oceanography Technical Report No
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UNDERWATER GLIDER SYSTEM STUDY Scripps Institution of Oceanography Technical Report No. 53 Submitted 6 May 2003 by: Scott A. Jenkins, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Douglas E. Humphreys, Vehicle Control Technologies, Inc. Jeff Sherman, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Jim Osse, University of Washington Clayton Jones, Webb Research Corporation Naomi Leonard, Joshua Graver, Ralf Bachmayer, PrincetonUniversity Ted Clem, Paul Carroll, Philip Davis, Naval Surface Warfare Center Jon Berry, Paul Worley, Johns Hopkins University Joseph Wasyl, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Submitted to: Office of Naval Research Code 321 OE, Ocean Engineering & Marine Systems 800 North Quincy Street Arlington, VA 22217 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY….…………………….……………………………. 5 1. Goals .………………………………………………………………………… 11 2. Objectives ….………………………………………………………………… 11 3. Approach …………………………………………………………………….. 12 4. Concept, Attributes and Limitations 4.1 Concept ……………………………………………………………… 15 4.2 Attributes of Underwater Gliders …………………………………. 17 4.3 Limitations of Underwater Gliders ………………………………... 21 5. Functional Classes 5.1 Depth Unlimited Roaming …………………………………………. 22 5.2 Depth Limited Roaming ………………………………………… ... 23 5.3 Virtual Station Keeping ……………………………………………. 23 5.4 Payload Delivery ……………………………………………………. 24 5.5 Level Flight Hybrids ………………………………………………... 25 6. Scaling Rules and Leading Order Performance Variables 6.1 Energetics …………………………………………………………… 27 6.2 Glide Speed …………………………………………………………. 47 6.3 Pressure Hull Compressibility: Displacement vs Weight ………... 60 6.3.1 Definition of Fractional Payload …..…………………….... 60 6.3.2 Buckling …………………………………………………….. 61 6.3.4 Hull Compressibility Scale Rules …………………………. 63 6.4 Cost Scaling ………………………………………………………… 65 7. Computational Methods 7.1 VCT Tools (Excerpts from Humphries, et al., 2003) 7.1.1 Isolated Body Static Force and Moment …………………. 69 3 7.1.2 Fin Lift and Moment ………………………………………. 74 7.1.3 Wing Downwash Effect on Aft Fins ………………………. 75 7.1.4 Numerical Modeling Procedure …………………………... 77 7.1.5 Trajectory Simulation Model ……………………………... 78 7.1.6 Validation for Legacy Gliders …………………………….. 79 7.2 Spread Sheet Analysis (Excerpts from Osse, 2003) ………………. 87 8. Payloads Navigation Steering and Communication System (excerpts from Clem et al., 2003, Clem and Carroll, 2003 and Jones, 2003) 8.1 Non-Acoustic Sensors and Glider Applications …………………... 96 8.1.1 Passive Magnetic Sensors ………………………………….. 98 8.1.2 Electric Field Sensors …………………………………….. 104 8.1.3 Active Electro-Magnetic Sensors ………………………… 106 8.1.4 Optical Sensors ……………………………………………. 108 8.1.5 Underwater Passive Optic and Electro-Optic Sensors …. 110 8.1.6 Chemical Sensors …………………………………………. 112 8.2 Navigation Sensors ………………………………………………… 114 8.3 Payload Packages ………………………………………………….. 116 8.4 Control Systems ……………………………………………………. 122 8.5 Communication Systems (from Berry, 2003)……………………... 123 8.5.1 Communication Systems Tested in Buoys, Drifters and Underwater Gliders ……..…………………………... 123 8.5.2 Communications Systems Trade Space …………………. 125 8.5.3 Evaluation of Current Approaches ……………………… 126 8.5.4 Increasing Data Rate: Satellite Communications Options 127 8.5.5 Increasing Data Rate: Radio Frequency Alternatives ….. 128 8.5.6 High End Solution ……………………………………….... 132 8.5.7 Summation of Communication Systems Options ………. 134 9. Performance Envelopes 9.1 Winged-Body-of-Revolution for Single (small) Payloads………... 136 9.2 Winged-Body-of-Revolution for Bundled (heavy) Payloads (The Bus) ………………………………………………... 143 9.3 Flying Wing for Bundled and Single Payloads …………………... 152 9.4 Pitch Stability, Winged-Bodies-of-Revolution vs Flying Wings 9.5 Hybrid Gliders ……………………………………………………... 163 9.6 Thermal Gliders ………………………………………………….... 167 4 10. Optimal Scale Regimes and Vehicle Configurations 10.1 Winged-Body-of-Revolution for Single (small) Payloads……… 171 10.2 Flying Wing for Bundled and Single Payloads ………………… 176 10.3 Winged-Body-of-Revolution for Bundled (heavy) Payloads ….. 181 10.4 Hybrid Glider ……………………………………………………. 190 10.5 Thermal Glider …………………………………………………... 193 10.6 Comparison of Maximum Cross-Country Speed Capability …. 195 10.7 Rational Approach to Selecting Optimal Size and Configuration (Excerpts for Graver, et al., 2003) 10.7.1 Lift and Drag …………………………………………….. 196 10.7.2 Choice of Glide Paths ………………………………….... 198 10.7.3 Glider Design vs Glide Path …………………………….. 199 10.7.4 Preliminary Sizing and Design …………………………. 200 10.8 Matching Glider Scale and Configuration to Functional Classes 11. Flight Strategies and Vehicle Control Requirements 11.1 Speed-to-fly in a Moving Ocean ………………………………… 207 11.2 Glider Dynamics Model (after Graver, et al., 2003) …………… 215 11.3 Choice of Equilibria ……………………………………………… 216 11.4 Control Systems: (from Bachmayer, et al., 2003, and Jones, 2003 ………………………………………………………... 217 11.4.1 Current Controller Design …………………………….... 218 11.4.2 Future Developments ………………………………….... 221 11.5 Remote Control of Multiple Vehicles ………………………….... 222 11.6 Operational Handling …………………………………………..... 224 11.7 Special Control Issues of Hybrid Vehicles …………………….... 225 11.8 Advanced Control Software Concepts (by L. Fogel, Natural Selections………………………………………………………....... 226 12. CONCLUSIONS …..……………………………………………………… 227 13. Bibliography ………………………………………………………………. 231 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The goals of this study are to determine how to advance from present capabilities of underwater glider (and hybrid motorglider) technology to what could be possible within the next few years; and to identify critical research issues that must be resolved to make such advancements possible. These goals were pursued by merging archival flight data with numerical model results and system spreadsheet analysis to extrapolate from the present state-of-the–art in underwater (UW) gliders to potential future technology levels. Using existing underwater gliders (legacy gliders) as calibration, this merger approach was applied to six basic glider types that were conceived to satisfy the requirements of five functional classes. Functional classes were posed based on an evaluation of the attributes and limitations of underwater gliders in the context of a broad range of potential Navy needs in the littoral and deep-water regimes. Those functional classes included: Depth- Unlimited Roaming Depth-Limited Roaming Virtual Station Keeping Payload Delivery Level-Flight Hybrids The glider types were composites of two basic payload packages (single and bundled), two classes of vehicle shape (body-of-revolution with wings and a flying wing), and three alternative propulsion systems (buoyancy lung, lung with propeller and lung with heat exchanger). Proceeding from the weight, space and power requirements of the payload packages, the analysis worked backward through a series of numerical modeling and spreadsheet computations to map out the viable performance envelope of each glider type. Scaling rules for speed and transport economy were then applied to these performance envelopes to identify the optimal regime of each glider type and to facilitate matching glider type with functional class. Table E.1 provides a summary of the matching of glider types with functional class and the expected dimensions and performance capabilities resulting from those matches. The shaded magenta bands in this table indicate the optimal scale regime for each glider type. Beneath the surface of Table E.1, a number of interesting findings were made that shed light on critical research issues. Many of these findings come from close examination of the existing technology. 1) The achieved performance of the UW glider is as much dependent on the intrinsic vehicle characteristics as it is on how it is flown. 6 2) Presently, legacy gliders operate in a scale regime equivalent to that of bats and small birds. 3) The present legacy glider performance does not match the transport economy of its bird and bat counterparts because of the way it is flown, insufficient loading of the wing, excessive wetted surface area and inefficiencies of the buoyancy engine. 4) Legacy gliders are not flown in the most transport efficient manner. They are flown at steep glide angles in order to profile ocean water masses. If they were flown at the flattest glide slopes within present capability (L/D max), their transport economy would improve three fold. To do so would require the controller to trim the glider for nose high attitudes during descending glides and nose low attitudes during ascending glides. Present control systems lack sophistication and supporting flight instrumentation necessary for maintaining such stable high angle of attack flight attitudes. 5) The present glider shapes are analogous to gliding blimps, and have too much wetted surface area for the wing loading at which the gliders are flying. Two remedial approaches were studied: increasing the wing loading by increasing the capacity of the buoyancy engine; and reducing the wetted surface area. Numerous sets of computations based on higher ratios of net buoyancy volume to total vehicle volume found that it is possible to make underwater gliders perform very close to the transport economy of natural flyers when operating in the present scale regime of birds. In larger scale regimes, these computations found that underwater gliders can equal or better the transport economy of some of the most efficient man-made flyers. Numerical modeling was also performed to seek more efficient shapes having less wetted area per unit area of wing, such as flying